Sundance Docs About Famous People Are Getting More Cinematic. Will They All Find Buyers?

Accomplished filmmaker Bao Nguyen takes us on a trip back to 1985 and the historic recording of one of the biggest charity records of all time, ‘We Are The World’, which united dozens of A-list artists to raise money for the African famine.Produced by Lionel Richie, one of the iconic artists and co-writer of the original song, Nguyen’s film uses archive material and contemporary talking heads (some interviewed in the original studio in which the record was made), including Richie himself.Headed to Netflix one day off of the recording’s 39th anniversary, the film is a nostalgic trip back to the heyday of ’80s music, the year in which the likes of Cyndi Lauper, Prince, Michael Jackson, Huey Lewis, Billy Joel, Journey, Kenny Loggins and more were dominating the American and international charts, and all are included here in some form.

T-Pain has revealed that he once wrote and produced a collaboration with Michael Jackson and Usher – but it was eventually shelved.Earlier this week, the Tallahassee polymath posted a video to his social media channels, explaining how the unreleased collaboration was leaked – making Jackson reluctant to hop on the soulful track.“We are about to listen to a song that I wrote and produced that was meant for me, Usher, and Michael Jackson,” T-Pain began. “And then the person that was in charge of doing the references and the person that sang it got too excited and was like, ‘N***a, I’m on a song with Michael Jackson and Usher and T-Pain!’“Then he released it and then Michael Jackson was like, ‘Nah, never mind.

“We Are the World,” the historic 1985 charity single — where even Bob Dylan was intimidated by the star-studded session.Surrounded by everyone from Ray Charles, Diana Ross and Paul Simon to Tina Turner, Willie Nelson and Billy Joel, the Bard was clearly out of sorts — and out of his element.But it took one particular legend to help another one find his solo mojo.“The secret agent to help him get comfortable was Stevie Wonder,” says David Breskin — one of two journalists invited by producer Quincy Jones to cover the momentous occasion — in the documentary. “Stevie is an insanely great mimic,” continues Breskin, explaining how the R&B master used his special talents to help the folk god: “Stevie sang it ventriloquially in Dylan’s voice.”It’s a dead-on impression that impresses even Dylan, who — in the only time the room is cleared to give one artist his space — finally nails his part.Such is the spirit of unity that — against all odds and egos — pulled together the recording of “We Are the World” on Jan.

“We Are the World” was a once-in-a-generation meeting of musical giants when it was recorded Jan. 28, 1985 — and released two months later on March 7 — to benefit African famine relief.Anyone who was anyone in music at that moment — a who’s who of legends, including everyone from Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and Bob Dylan to Billy Joel, Tina Turner and Bruce Springsteen — showed up to support the cause.Written by Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and produced by Quincy Jones and ’80s hitmaker Michael Omartian, the single sold a whopping 20 million copies.

Angelique Jackson Lionel Richie has been very emotional lately, but he wants to reassure everyone that he’s okay. According to Richie, it’s just been a heady experience to look back nearly 40 years and relive all the wondrous and chaotic memories of writing and recording “We Are the World” for the new Netflix documentary “The Greatest Night in Pop.” “Every segment of this journey, I cry,” Richie said at the Variety Studio presented by Audible at Sundance Film Festival, where the film made its world premiere.

told People magazine at Sunday night’s Sundance Film Festival premiere of the new documentary, “Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story.““And what sticks with me most,” he said, “was after that incredible warm welcome and that very long standing ovation that he received, his introduction — he followed it up with a wonderful speech about how cinema and movies are at their best when they not only entertain, but they inform and educate and address issues.”Among those in the audience applauding the “Rear Window” actor that night were Tom Hanks, Quentin Tarantino, Brad Pitt, John Travolta, Meryl Streep, Jim Carrey and Nicolas Cage.Reeve also remembered how clips from movies including “Coming Home” and “Terms of Endearment” addressed important human issues.“So that’s always stuck with me,” he told People.

Robert Fripp and Toyah Willcox have covered Michael Jackson‘s ‘Give In To Me’ for their latest ‘Sunday Lunch’ performance.The musicians and married couple performed the “real fan fave” from the King Of Pop’s 10th album ‘Dangerous’ for this weekend’s musical ‘Sunday Lunch’ cover, which sees the pair perform classic rock songs from their kitchen.The King Crimson musician dressed up as Slash for the performance, donning the Guns N’ Roses guitarist’s signature glasses and black top hat.Willcox rocked out in front of a sign which read “Fripps my Slash” as he played the 1991 track, while the pair looked windswept with the help of a makeshift wind machine.Watch the new ‘Sunday Lunch’ cover below.Earlier this month, the couple kicked off 2024 with a cover of KISS’ ‘Lick It Up’.Other recent highlights include a cover of Bon Jovi’s ‘You Give Love A Bad Name’, The Black Keys‘ ‘Lonely Boy’, and Richard Berry’s ‘Have Love, Will Travel’.Last year, the pair brought their viral lockdown concept to the live stage at Glastonbury, where they performed David Bowie’s ‘Heroes’.They reflected on the success of their series backstage with NME, sharing that the response “did surprise us”.“We were going for about eight months and it was growing and growing and growing,” Willcox said. “It started with one very simple post: 28 seconds of us jiving.

“This documentary is just to try and get some of the information down on film somewhere, before it’ll scatters away,” admits Devo’s Mark Mothersbaugh of the documentary about the band that premieres at the Sundance Film Festival tonight. “I just like the idea that this information is being collected,” the front man adds.

Todd Gilchrist editor Although it isn’t structured any differently from dozens of other cradle-to-grave documentaries about artistic luminaries, “Luther: Never Too Much” sheds light on much more than just the life and career of R&B singer Luther Vandross. Drawn largely from interview and performance footage of Vandross over his almost 40 years in entertainment, and bolstered and contextualized by retrospective talks will collaborators and confidantes, director Dawn Porter’s film exposes some uneasy truths about the music industry and the media we may now know, but whose seeming ubiquitousness at the time he was alive may be difficult to fully comprehend.

Carlos Aguilar The image of Frida Kahlo, the prominent Mexican painter of the early 20 century, is one of the most replicated and commercialized of any artist in the history of the world. From T-shirts to houseware, merchandise of all sorts emblazoned with her face has turned Kahlo into a kitschy, mainstream, decontextualized emblem for Mexican identity.

“The Greatest Night In Pop” is so entertaining and eminently watchable, and it’s as simple as that. Directed by Bao Nguyen, the acclaimed filmmaker of the Bruce Lee doc “Be Water,” the already-engaging subject matter doesn’t hurt: nearly 50 of the top American music artists in the world all in one room, recording a soon-to-be global hit single.

“I didn’t really know much about the making of the song,” admits The Greatest Night in Pop director Bao Nguyen of 1985’s star-studded Ethiopian famine relief hit “We Are the World.” “You just make these assumptions about how things are made because it just happens. But when you think now of 46 great artists getting together to make that, it would be really impossible for that to happen now.”

Addie Morfoot Contributor Carla Gutierrez is known in the documentary community for her work as a film editor. She was behind Oscar nominated docs “RBG” and “La Corona” as well as Emmy winner “Julia.” But in 2022, after two decades of editing, Gutierrez decided to direct “Frida,” a docu about iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, which has its world premiere at Sundance Film Festival this week. “A few months before we started working on ‘Frida,’ I would say, ‘I’m really content with editing.’ I had no thoughts of directing, but her story really pulled me in and I realized I have to direct this (film).

There’s an odd tension and dichotomy coursing throughout the new documentary, “Frida,” an intimacy meets a standard-issue form: a lyrical, magical quality next to something just maybe too safely chronological for its own good. Carla Gutierrez’s new documentary, her directorial debut, is well-meaning and has a clear devotion and affection for her subject, the legendary Mexican artist Frida Kahlo, but as a primarily told cradle-to-grave story, it is doggedly linear and therefore often feels a little familiar.

Nine-year old Juliano Krue Valdi has won the role to play young Michael Jackson in Lionsgate and UIP’s Antoine Fuqua’s directed Michael.

BAFTAs (British Academy Film Awards) have just been announced today (January 18) – scroll down to read the full list.This year’s ceremony will be hosted by David Tennant for the first time, and is set to take place at London’s Royal Festival Hall in the Southbank Centre on February 18.“I am delighted to have been asked to host the EE BAFTA Film Awards and help celebrate the very best of this year’s films and the many brilliant people who bring them to life,” said Tennant.The most nominated film is Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer with 13 nods, while Barbie and Saltburn are up for five each.Take a look at the list of nominees for the full line-up of BAFTAs below.Best FilmAnatomy of a FallThe HoldoversKillers of The Flower MoonOppenheimerPoor ThingsOutstanding British FilmAll of Us StrangersHow to Have SexNapoleonThe Old OakPoor ThingsRye LaneSaltburnScrapperWonkaThe Zone of InterestEE Rising StarPhoebe Dynevor Ayo Edebiri Jacob Elordi Mia McKenna-Bruce Sophie WildeOutstanding debut by a British Writer, Director or ProducerBlue Bag LifeBobi Wine: The People’s PresidentEarth MamaHow To Have SexIs There Anybody Out There?Film not in the English Language20 Days In MariupolAnatomy of a FallPast LivesSociety of the SnowThe Zone of InterestDocumentary20 Days In MariupolAmerican SymphonyBeyond UtopiaStill: A Michael J. Fox MovieWham!Animated FilmThe Boy And The HeronChicken Run: Dawn of the NuggetElementalSpider-Man: Across the Spider-VerseDirectorAnatomy of a FallAll of Us StrangersThe HoldoversMaestroOppenheimerThe Zone of InterestOriginal ScreenplayAnatomy of a FallBarbieThe HoldoversMaestroPast LivesAdapted ScreenplayAll of Us StrangersAmerican FictionOppenheimerPoor ThingsThe Zone of InterestLeading ActressCarey Mulligan, Mae

The French artist Apolonia Sokol – focus of the Oscar-shortlisted documentary Apolonia, Apolonia – has been compared to the great Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. She concedes there may be a few parallels, beginning with something of a physical resemblance.

Michael Jackson’s story will make its way to the big screen in 2025. Titled “Michael,” the film will be directed by Antoine Fuqua and will star Jaafar Jackson in the lead role. It’s the biggest role in Jafaar’s career and a personal one, as he’ll be portraying his uncle on screen.

Stephen Rodrick There’s an iconic scene in 1978’s “Superman” of Clark Kent, played by Christopher Reeve, spying Lois Lane dangling from a helicopter. He locates a revolving door, emerges as the Man of Steel, and soars upward and catches a falling Lane. “Easy, miss, I’ve got you,” says Superman.

Instagram post.The event was attended by a slew of Hollywood stars, including Anne Hathaway, Bradley Cooper, Jessica Chastain, Martin Scorsese, and Zac Efron.The star-studded soiree, hosted at Cipriani 42nd Street, honors and recognizes the best films released within the past year.Cooper received the NBR Icon Award for his role as composer Leonard Bernstein in the newly-released “Maestro.”The awards show, which was hosted by Willie Geist, was also attended by stars like Ethan Hawke, Mark Ruffalo, Michael J. Fox, Wendell Pierce, Elizabeth Olsen, Amy Sedaris, and Teyana Taylor.Other celebs include Laura Linney, Lily Gladstone, Andrew Scott, and Da’Vine Joy Randolph.This year’s top honorees include “Killers of the Flower Moon” for Best Film; Martin Scorsese for Best Director; Paul Giamatti for Best Actor in “The Holdovers,” and finally, Lily Gladstone for Best Actress.Actor Daniel Day-Lewis even came out from retirement for the evening to present Scorsese the award for best director.